Community Conversations by Paul Born

Author:Paul Born
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BPS Books

Tips for a Great Conversation

Focus on what matters.

Acknowledge one another as equals.

Speak with your heart and mind.

Beware of judgments.

Listen in order to understand: Suspend certainty and let go of assumptions.

Slow down to allow time for thinking and reflection.

Listen for patterns, insights, and deeper questions.

Share collective discoveries.

Six Ideas for a Conversation Café

I use conversation cafés more than any other technique. They are simple and fun, yet extremely effective. Here are a few tips from my experience:

Give the room a fun feel.

Take time to decorate the room like a café, complete with appropriate music, mood lighting, and some refreshments. Every detail counts and can go a long way toward setting the right mood. I love it when people enter the room together and are amazed by its ambiance. There is a sense of “Wow!” The brown-paper tablecloths and markers can be replaced by sticky notes and pens, but the brown paper creates a more inviting restaurant feeling. I have created conversation cafés with themes that mimic an outdoor Italian café or formal restaurant. I have even used actual restaurants to host conversations. Your only limitations are creativity and time.

Choose the questions and create a menu.

Consider asking two questions. I like to begin by asking participants one that is slightly personal, such as their fears, reasons for being here, or why they are personally committed to this work. The second question is often about the work and the change we are seeking to address, such as, “Why does poverty exist?” and “How might we reduce poverty in this community?” or, “Why do arts organizations matter to our community and what can we do to promote them?” Contact us at [email protected] for a downloadable conversation café menu template to use at your own event.

Consider wicked questions.

Wicked questions are questions that do not have an obvious answer. They are used to expose the assumptions that shape our actions and choices. What’s more, they articulate the embedded and often contradictory assumptions we hold about an issue, context, or organization. Not to be confused with trick questions, wicked questions do not have obvious answers. Their value lies in their capacity to generate inquiry and new options, as well as to bring to the surface fundamental issues that need to be addressed. Examples include: • How can we commit ourselves to be accountable for achieving specific measurable results, while at the same time staying open to the possibility that we may be measuring the wrong outcomes?

• Do we know how to build a movement large enough to achieve critical mass, power, and diversity while also staying true to certain contentious values and principles?

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